By KATHY HAGEMAN
Dickinson County public information coordinator
Eighteen Dickinson County properties with delinquent property taxes sold at auction Tuesday morning, bringing in $28,172 to the county treasurer’s office.
Held in the new lobby of the courthouse, a large crowd gathered inside to attend the first delinquent property auction since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The last sale was held in 2019.
Tuesday’s sale was rescheduled three times due to the pandemic.
County Counselor Doug Thompson conducted the sale and Sheriff Jerry Davis served as auctioneer.
During his opening remarks, Thompson explained the sale procedures and urged those who plan to bid to pick up a numbered card.
He said that past taxes are not the buyer’s obligation; however, the buyer would need to pay 2021 first and second half taxes, along with the amount they bid for the property and the register off deeds fee to transfer the deed.
City specials – if there are any – will show up on 2022 taxes, he said.
“From the time we finish here, if you’re a successful buyer I will do a notice to the court to approve the sale. Then it will be about three weeks before the court approves the sale. After that, a deed will be prepared and sent to you,” Thompson explained.
He also emphasized that potential buyers cannot have delinquent taxes in Dickinson County or be related to the current landowner.
“You can’t be the wife, the husband, the brother, the somebody else, and buy it back,” Thompson said.
Nineteen properties were up for sale, but one – located on E. Fifth Street in Enterprise – had no bids. That property will be included on the next tax sale.
One Herington property, located in the 300 block of Willow Lane, sold for $8,500 – the highest amount of any property on the sale.
A property located in the 1600 block of SW 2nd Street in Abilene brought in the second highest bid of $6,775. The third highest sale was for a property that went for $3,025, located in the 700 block of W. Walnut in Herington.
Two properties sold for $1 each.
Twelve of the tracts up for sale were located in Herington, five were in Abilene, one was in Solomon and one was in Enterprise.